Pre-barking conveyor



Nov. 24, 1964 y A, P. scHNYDER 3,158,255

PRE-BARKING cNvEYoR Filed Nov. 7. 1961 AGENT United States Patent O 3,158,255 PRE-EARRING CNVEYGR Auxiiius P. Schnyder, Bogota, NJ., assigner to The nrnmns Company, New York, NY., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 7, 1951, Ser. No. 150,838 e Claims. (EL 19d-21S) This invention relates to conveyor apparatus for the transport of logs and particularly to the transport of logs from a flume to another station preliminary to a barking operation. More specically, the invention relates to conveyor apparatus of this type in which there is a partial cutting of the bark during the log transport as an aid to the subsequent barking operations.

Among the objects of the present invention is to achieve a simple, practical, easily maintained log conveyor for lengthwise-oriented transport of logs, especially a conveyor for picking logs from a ume stream and conveying them to other -log handling apparatus at a station elevated with respect to the urne.

Another object of the present invention is to simultaneously achieve in apparatus of the aforementioned type both partial prebarking or bark cutting and log movement.

Still another object of this invention is to achieve improved log conveyor apparatus of the aforementioned type which will maintain lengthwise orientation of a plurality of logs moving therethrough and at the Isame time provide .a uniform rate of movement of these logs.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a simple log conveyor which will intercept logs from ume water without obstructing the flow of the flume stream and provide at least partial drainage of the iiurne water from the logs.

A further object of this invention is to achieve an improved conveyor satisfying the aforementioned objects and also providing, in addition to the transport of the logs, the transport to the end of the conveyor of bark which may be incidentally removed or iaked off during the transport of the logs through the conveyor.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention an elongated hollow conveyor structure is arranged with one end extending into a ume for receiving logs. The conveyor is provided along its entire length with spiral or helical ribs. In operation the ribs have a screw-like action and frictionally engage the logs to effect progressive lengthwise movement of the logs through the conveyor as the latter is rotated about its longitudinal axis. Along most of yits length the conveyor has a generally solid cylindrical wall with the spiral or helical ribs located internally-thereof, but the end of the conveyor projecting into the flume stream is preferably formed as an open grillage; The grillage provides ready passage of floating logs and at least part of the fiume water into the open end of the conveyor and drainage of the water through 4the sides of the grillage while the logs are intercepted by the spiral ribs of the grillage and passed axially through the conveyor.

' The pitch of the spiral ribs is preferably uniform along the length of the conveyor and the solid cylindrical portion is preferably of uniform diameter, whereas, the grillage is preferably of progressively increasing diameter up to the end which extends into the ume stream. The flume preferably includes structure to assure that the ends of the logs iloating in the ume are guided into the grillage. The screw-like ribs have edges which engage the bark on the logs and may even partially cut or bite into the latter, but which at least have sufficient frictional engagement with the logs as a result of the Weight of the latter to elfect progressive movement of the logs as the conveyor -is rotated. The ribs may be provided Patented New. 24, 1%64 lCe with cutting knives secured thereto and provided withy Shar-p edges to aid subsequent barking operations by cutting the bark as the logs are moved through the conveyor. The axis of theconveyor may be inclined to transport the logs from the level of the flume stream to a substantially higher elevation.

The foregoing and other objects and features of this invention are informative `as to the nature of the invention but not necessarily limiting the scope thereof and other features and modifications of the invention will be more obvious from the appended claims and the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a yside elevation of a log conveyor arranged at a flume for intercepting and conveying logs from the latter; i

FIGURE 2 is a partial section taken along line 2 2 of FIGURE 1 and illustrating details of internal ribs and cutting knives of the log conveyor;

FiGURE 3 is a transverse section taken on line 3-3 of FiGURE 1 and illustrating the rotational drive mechanism for the conveyor; and

FIGURE 4 is a view taken on line 4 4 of FIGURE l illustrating structure at the flume for guiding logs into the open end of the conveyor.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, an elongated hollow conveyor 11 having one end disposed within the water stream 12 of a Hume 13 from which the conveyor 11 intercepts logs t0 be lifted and transported axially therethrough to elevated log handling apparatus, such as the belt conveyor 14. The belt conveyor 14 may be supported, yfor example, on -a bridge straddling the ume, at the discharge end of the conveyor 11. rl`he conveyor 14 may transfer the logs from conveyor 11 to a barking apparatus, or the latter may be located adjacent the discharge end of the conveyor 11 to receive the logs directly therefrom.

The conveyor 11 is rotatable about its longitudinal axis and for a major portion of its length has la solid cylindrical wall portion 16. The end of the conveyor 11 which is disposed within the water stream 12 has an open portion or grillage structure 17 to intercept the logs, and permits the waterstream to pass generally unrnpeded through the grillage structure 17.

Logs 19 Heating in the water stream 12, for example, from the log yard to the woodroom of a pulp mill, enter endwise into the grillage 1'7 and the forward ends of the logs are engaged by one or a plurality of internal spiral ribs 18 which at least to some extent bite into the bark of the logs and transport the logs axially through the conveyor 11 as a resul-t of the screw-like action of the ribs as the conveyor is rotated. To provide generally uniform movement of the logs to the conveyor 11, the helically spiraled ribs 18 are preferably of uniform pitch `throughout the length ofthe conveyor.

Within the solid cylindrical wall portion 16 of conveyor 11, the ribs 18 may be secured in any manner permanently or removably to the interior of the cylinder. The ribs may be lof L-shaped cross section as seen in FIGURE 2 with lone side of the L permanently welded to the cylindrical wall 15. The sides of the ribs toward which the logs move may be lleted or inclined, as shown at 2i), to reduce the possibility of wedging the ends or other parts of the logs against the ribs and to avoid impedance of the forward progress of the logs through the conveyor. v

The edges of the ribs 18 engaging the bark on the logs will have a sharpness depending upon the desired-degree of bark cutting or penetration. For the mere transport of the logs through the conveyor 11 these edges need only provide suicient .frictionalcontact with the logs lying thereon to insure their forward progress, and this will depend at least in part upon the amount of inclination of the axis of the conveyor 11, the hardness and roughness of .the bark, and `the weight of the logs. In addition to the mere conveying function of the conveyor 11, it may also have a prebarking function by increasing the sharpness of some of the spiral ribs 18, or by supporting on the latter cutting knives 22, as seen in FIGURE 2, to provide circumferentially extending slits in the bark which will facilitate removal of the bark in the barking apparatus to which the logs are passed.

ri`he cutting knives 22 are preferably removably secured to the ribs by screws or bolts and preferably within the cylindrical portion 16 of the conveyor. The length of cutting knives 22 is preferably a small fraction of the circumferential dimension of the conveyor and the number of cutting knives provided will depend upon the desired amount of cutting of the bark.

The ribs 18 which are generally continuous throughout the length of the conveyor 11 are rigidly supported at the grillage 17 by means of bars 26 extending generally longitudinally of :the conveyor. The bars may be secured at one end, as by welding, to the end of the cylindrical structure 16 and their opposite ends may be similarly secured to a ring 27 to which the ends of the ribs 1S may also be secured. The bars 26 may extend through the ribs or along their outer periphery and may be secured thereto by welding. Although the diameter of the spiraled ribs may be constant throughout the length of the conveyor 11, the ribs 18 of the grillage 17 are preferably of progressively increasing diameter from the cylinder 16 to the ring 27 at the flume-immersed end of the conveyor 11.Y

The llume is provided with any suitable means to guide the logs endwise through the ring 27 for engagement with the ribs 18. As an example, the bottom of the flume may have a circular cross section as shown at 28 in FIG- URE 4, the bottom wall of the llume overlying the lower portion of the ring 27 so that the logs will not strike the end of the latter but will freely enter into the spirallined conveyor passage.

Below the conveyor 11 the ume has a drain pit 30 where the level of the water stream 12 drops after passing through the grillage 17. If the water level is Sulliciently low in the drain pit 30 with respect to the cylinder 16, the conveyor may have a horizontal rotational axis instead of the illustrated inclined axis. Of course, the funnel like shape of the grillage 17 due to its progressively increasing diameter may facilitate a reduction in the inclination of the axis of the conveyor 11 with respect to the horizontal since the grillage could be at least partially submerged in the ilume stream without submerging the cylinder 16.

The conveyor 11 is supported for rotation by means of pedestals 32 and 33 in the drain pit 30 `or by any other suitable supporting structure for carrying trunnions 34 and 35. The trunnions 34 and 35 engage rings 36 and 37 secured to the outer periphery of the cylinder 16 and at least one of the trunnions (34) and the corresponding ring (36) are beveled or otherwise suitably formed to` take part of the axial thrust of the conveyor 11 which occurs both due to the components of gravitational forces incident to its inclination and the reaction forces due to the pushing of logs therethrough.

Intermediate the rings 36 and 37 the conveyor 11 is provided with driving means including a sheave 41 secured thereto and engaged with a belt 42, the belt passing over a further sheave 43 driven by an electric motor 44 as illustrated in FIGURES l and 3. Other equivalent chain or gear driving means may also be utilized.

The dimensions of the conveyor 11 are such that the logs 19 remain oriented generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the conveyor as they are passed therethrough so as to achieve maximum contact of the ribs 18 with the bark of the logs. The grillage 17 may extend approximately one-quarter of the length of the conveyor 11 and provides effective draining of water from the logs as they enter the conveyor 11. There may not be much bark cutting or bark removal at the grillage 17 and any bark subsequently incidentally removed or ilaking off as the logs pass through the conveyor will be retained within the cylinder 16 and progressively conveyed to the discharge end of the latter as the conveyor rotates. As indicated by the arrow in FIGURE 3, the direction of rotation of the conveyor 11 with the illustrated spiral rib configuration will be clockwise when viewed from the discharge end. Simple means may be provided at the discharge end of the conveyor to catch any bark discharged therefrom and suitably dispose of it.

The conveyor 11 is of large diameter relative to the diameter of the logs so that substantial variation in log diameter can be accommodated without any change in the operation and function of the conveyor for simultaneous log transport and partial slitting or pre-barking of the logs by the chewing or cutting ellect of the ribs 18 or the knives 22. thereon.

As the logs are transported through the conveyor 11, the rotation of the latter will effect a rolling movement of the logs within the conveyor in addition to their lengthwise movement so that all sides of the logs will be acted upon by the ribs 18 and the cutting knives 22. The rotational speed of the conveyor will be coordinated with the rate of receipt of the logs 19 in the flume and with the rate of removal of the discharge logs by the conveyor 14. The driving motor 44 may be provided with suitable speed control means of any well known type for manually or automatically adjusting the rotational speed of the conveyor.

Although all of the parts of the conveyor which engage the logs are of hard strong material such as steel to provide maximum durability, certain parts of the conveyor such as the cutting knives 22 may be of especially hard material such as stellite or the like so as to maintain a sharp cutting edge for as long a duration as possible. Similarly, the edges of the spiral ribs 18 may be of specially hard material to reduce Wear.

The foregoing description of this invention is given merely by way of example and the invention may extend to other obvious embodiments falling within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. A conveyor apparatus for handling logs comprising a flume with a stream for floatingly conveying logs therealong, and elongated hollow conveyor structure having internal spiraled rib means, said rib means presenting edges at the interior of said structure for engagement with the logs being transported therethrough, means for rotatably supporting said structure with one end thereof extending into said stream for intercepting floating logs therefrom, said one end being an open grillage structure including part of said rib means thereat to intercept logs from said flume but to permit the How of at least part of the flume stream through said grillage structure, means for rotating said conveyor structure in a direction such that said spiral rib means effects progressive transport of said logs from said one end to the other end of said structure.

2. A conveyor apparatus for logs or the like cornprising an elongated conveyor structure of generally hollow configuration and havingV helically spiraled rib means presenting spiral edges engageable with logs being transported through said structure, means to rotate said structure about its longitudinal axis to effect the transport of logs therethrough, means for supporting said structure with one end thereof at least partially immersed in a body of water for picking therefrom logs oating therein, said conveyor structure including along a major portion of its length a solid cylindrical wall enclosing said rib means and further including at said one end of said structure an open supporting means for the spiral ribs thereat for separating the logs from said water.

3. A conveyor apparatus for logs or the like comprising an elongated conveyor structure of generally hollow configuration and having helically spiraled rib means presenting spiral edges engageahle with logs being transported through said structure, means to rotate said structure about its longitudinal axis to etect the transport of logs therethrough, means for supporting said structure with one end thereof at least partially immersed in a body of Water for picking therefrom logs iioating therein, said conveyor structure including along a major pontion of its length a Isolid cylindrical wall enclosing said rib means and further including at said one end of said structure an open supporting means for the spiral ribs thereat for separating the logs from said water, said open supporting means dening a structure in which the diameter of said spiraled rib means is progressively increased up to the end thereof which is immersed in said water.

4. A conveyor apparatus for logs or the like comprising an elongated conveyor structure of generally hollow configuration and having helically spiraled rib means presenting spiral edges engageahle with logs being transported through said structure, means to rotate said structure about its longitudinal axis to effect the transport of logs therethrough, means for supporting said structure with one end thereof at least partially immersed in a body of water for picking therefrom logs floating therein, said conveyor structure including along a major portion of its length `a solid cylindrical Wall enclosing said rib means and further including at said one end of said structure an open supporting means for the spiral ribs thereat for separating the logs from said Water, the supporting means for said spiraled rib means yat said open structure including longitudinally extending bars interconnecting said rib means and a ring at the end, of said conveyor structure and rigidly interconnecting said bars and the ends of said rib means.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 617,405 Pett Ian. 10, 1899 1,228,374 Ross May 29, 1917 1,233,321 De Cew July 17, 1917 1,618,338 H-oiman Feb. 22, 1927 2,599,090 Clark et al June 3, 1952 2,712,330 Thompson July 5, 1955 

1. A CONVEYOR APPARATUS FOR HANDLING LOGS COMPRISING A FLUME WITH A STREAM FOR FLOATINGLY CONVEYING LOGS THEREALONG, AND ELONGATED HOLLOW CONVEYOR STRUCTURE HAVING INTERNAL SPIRALED RIB MEANS, SAID RIB MEANS PRESENTING EDGES AT THE INTERIOR OF SAID STRUCTURE FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LOGS BEING TRANSPORTED THERETHROUGH, MEANS FOR ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID STRUCTURE WITH ONE END THEREOF EXTENDING INTO SAID STREAM FOR INTERCEPTING FLOATING LOGS THEREFROM, SAID ONE END BEING AN OPEN GRILLAGE STRUCTURE INCLUDING PART OF SAID RIB MEANS THEREAT TO INTERCEPT LOGS FROM SAID FLUME BUT TO PERMIT THE FLOW OF AT LEAST PART OF THE FLUME STREAM THROUGH SAID GRILLAGE STRUCTURE, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID CONVEYOR STRUCTURE IN A DIRECTION SUCH THAT SAID SPIRAL RIB MEANS EFFECTS PROGRESSIVE TRANSPORT OF SAID LOGS FROM SAID ONE END TO THE OTHER END OF SAID STRUCTURE. 